Fashioned hosiery and method of making the same



G. P. BO'SWORTH.

FASHIONED HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

APFL!CAT|0N FILED AUG; 12, I919.

1,418,617 Pate ntedJune 6, 1922.

j eo I Imenior; George BBosworZfi,

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

FASHIONED HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE-SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J n 6 1922 Application filed August 1a, 1919. 'Serial No. 317,067.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BOSWORTI-I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Fashioned Hosiery and Methods of Making the Same, of-which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to fashioned hosiery and to the method of making the same, and the object thereof is to provide a full-fashioned or shaped stocking that may be economically and rapidly knitted upon an automatic knitting machine.

In the accompanying drawings I have disclosed certain embodiments f my invention selected merely for the purposes of illustration, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stocking embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one form of blank from which the stocking shown in Fig. 1 may be made,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another form of blank adapted to be used in the formation of the stocking embodying my invention; and I Fig. 4 is an exaggerated diagram of a fabric embodying the characteristics of the selvages formed along the edges of the two strips of the blank shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken, on the line 1010 of Fig. 2.

I shall describe my ticular reference toits formation upon circular knitting machines wherein either the needle cylinder or the needle cams may be moved relatively to the other, but it is to be distinctly understood that within the spirit and scope of the invention other types of knitting machines may be employed.

The stocking embodying this invention may be knitted entirely by the continuous rotation of the needle or cam carrier; or said stocking may be formed by a part rotary and part reciprocatory movement either of the needle carrier or of the cam carrier, according to the type of machine employed.

1 have, therefore, illustrated in the accominvention with par-,

panying drawings types of blanks formed by 0th methods. and will now proceed to describe that form shown in Fig. 2 wherein the stocking is produced by both rotary and reciprocating movementJ- or convenience we will assume that the needle carrier is the operating member rather than the cam carrier, and that said needle carrier contains a complete circular series of needles containing three hundred needles, although it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to the use of the particularnumber specified,

but that this number may be varied according to the size and texture of the fabric to be formed.

The formation of a be begun either at the toe or at the top of the le thereof, but herein at the toe.

(nitting is preferably begun upon the full complement of needles to knit a number of courses of tubular fabric, as shown at 4, these courses being-merely protective courses to assist .the operator in seaming the toe of the blank, which seam follows along the line 55 (see Fig. 2). When this point in the knitting operation has been reached, a certain number of the needles upon opposite stockingblank may sides of the blank are withdrawn from action, this number depending, of course, upon the texture and size of the blank. In the present case, where three hundred needles are contained in the complete set, preferably tw hundred needles will be used in forming the foot and instep portions of the blank. Therefore one-half of the remaining needles, that is fifty needles, will be thrown out of action at one side of the blank, and the remaining fifty needles at the op osite side of said blank. When these need es have been withdrawn from action, the loops previously formed thereon will be .cast off and gaps 6, 6 will be produced in the tubular web be-., ginning at said line 5 5; or, in other words, two strips of fabric 7 and 8, constituting the instep and foot portions of the blank, will now be produced, and these strips will preferably be formed upon approximately the use of two separate sets of knitting cams in order that the two strips 7 and 8 may be formed simultaneously.

In connection with the strip 8 I preferably form in .the usual manner a toe pocket 9 by the well known narrowing and widening process, although it is to be distinctly understood that I am not limited to this method of forming said pocket. 1 During the formation of said toe pocket, which pref, erably takes place immediately following the change from rotary to reciprocating movement and at the line 55, the needlesof the instep strip 7 are withheld from action, but upon completion of the knitting of said toe pocket said instep needles are restored'to action and knitting upon both series is continued until the line 1010 is reached, where I preferably effect the formation of a heel pocket 11 in any desired manner, but preferably by the usual narrowing and widening operations, during which time the instep needles are rendered inactive. i

Upon the completion of'said heel'pocket the instep needles are again restored to action and knitting continues upon both sets simultaneously to form what may be termed the ankle portion of the blank, as represented by the section of fabric between the line 1010 and the line 1212.

Although the strips 7 and 8 are in the present case of uniform width from the line 55 to the line 12-12,that is, the same number of needles have been used during the entire formation of said strips, with th exception of the period wherein the toe-and heel pockets 9 and 11 ,were knitted,-it is to to be distinctly'iinderstood that within the spirit and scopeof the invention, needlesmay be added or removed from the series forming the said strips to vary or fashion saidstrips either at the instep or arch sections of the foot or at the ankle portion thereof. Preferably, however, the same number of needles have, aspreviously stated,

, been employed.

Upon reaching the line 12-12, I next proceed to knit the calf portion of the stocking, which I preferably fashion by gradually adding to the number of needles employed in knitting the strips 7 and 8, preferably by any of the well known picking instrumentalities; until the full complement of needles has been restored to action, as it will be when the point 13 at or near the top of the calf is reached, and I may bring the said. needles into action either in consecutive courses to produce a rapid increase in the di ameter of the blank at opposite sides, as indicated by the line 12, or I may skip one or more courses before adding extra needles, soas to make the increase more radual. The method which is to be followef in this respec will, however, naturally be governed "the strips by the size of the stocking to be formed. Preferably to effect this widening process I have, for the sake of neatness in the finished stocking, effected the increase in the series of needles employed in forming the calf covering strip 8, thus adding all of the fullmiss at the rear of the stocking rather than at the front. thereof, and as-a consequence the edges 14 of said front-strip will always remain substantially parallel with the front line of the stocking.

The formation of the two sections or strips 7 7 and 8 of the blank upon separate series of needles actuated by independent knittin cam sets, makes it possible to produce se vaged edges 14-, 14 along both. sides of the strips 7 and 8, and to effect a more perfect selvage than is ordinarily the case where mere reciprocating knitting is employed, I preferably cause the end needles of each of picking instrumentalities, so that the loops formed thereon will be held over one movement of the needle cylinder. A reverse movement of said cylinder effects the picking down of. said end needles and also causes the yarn previously fed thereto to be laid around. the shank of the needle and knitted with the previously formed loop: into the 1ength of the ordinary loops, 17, 17 of the fabric, and these loops are simultaneously interknit with the successive double loops formed '.p0n said needles, so that a continuous chain of double loops will be formed extending along each edge of the strips 7 the .series of needles employed in knitting i and 8 to be raised by suitable and 8. These selvaged edges preferably extend from the line 5-5 to the point 13, providing even, uniform ed es which are later stitched or seamed toget .er to complete the formation of the stocking. When reaching the point 13 which is at the top of the calf section 18 of the stocking, the machine is v automatically changed from reciprocatory to rotary movement, and knitting continues upon the full complement of needles to form a seamless, tubular, up r leg section 19 which extends to the top 20 of the: blank.

Having reached the top 20 of the blank, I may remove the same from the. machine and proceed with the knitting of another blank in the same manner; or within the scope and purpose of my invention I may continue knitting upon the full complement of nee-v dles from the top 20 of the stockin for a number of courses, as at 4, until t e line 5-5 of a new blank has been reached, and then continue the o-peratio-ns previously described. i

To make a completed stocking from the 95 loop formed on said needle during said reblank hereinbefore described, the end indicated by the line 5-5 of the strip 7 may be seamed to the end indicated by said line 5-5 of the strip 8, producing a seam across the toe of the completed stocking, as shown at 21 (Fig. 1), the superfluous portions of the section 4 being removed either by cutting or by raveling. Also the edges 14 of the strips 7.and 8 are stitched together from the line 5-5 to the point 13 at the top of the calf section of said blank to produce a seam. 23 extending from each end of the seam 21 along each side of the foot and each side of the ankleand leg portions of the stocking, as at 25, to the point 13 at the top of the calf 18 of said stocking.

It is to be understood that the order in which the seaming operations of theseveral edges of said stocking blank are united may be varied to suit the convenience of the operator.

When a blank is to be formed entirely by rotary movements of the needle cylinder 01' cam carrier, as the case may be, knitting starts upon the full complement of needles,

preferably at the toe, as shown at 26 in Fig. 3, and a number of circular courses will be produced similar to the courses 4 of the form shown in Fig. 2. Upon reaching the line 27-27, where a certain number of needles, in the present instance fifty needles, are to be withdrawn from action to produce gaps 28 at each side of the blank, I effect the formation of a toe pocket 29 preferably by the usual method of narrowing and widening as described in connection with Fig. 2, withholding the needles of the other set during said narrowing and widening operations. This toe pocket is formed upon the section 30 constituting the foot portion of the blank, although it is within the scope and purpose of the invention to form it upon the other set of needles whereon is knitted the instep portion 31 of the blank. Having completed the toe pocket 29, all of the needles of the two series from which the sections 30 and 31 are to be formed, are restored to action and rotary knitting con tinues until the heel pocket is to be formed, at which point preferably the usual narrowing and widening operations-take place to efiect the production of a heel pocket 32, and upon the completion of said pocket knitting continues upon all of the needles of said series to knit the ankle portion 33 to the line 3434 where the widening operations are to take place to form the fashioning of the calf of said stocking. I

.During the knitting operations hereinbefore referred to, which, as I have stated, are rotary movements of the needle carrier, the adjacent edges 35. 36 of the foot and instep strips 30 and 31, respectively, will be connected together by floating yarns 37 which are, in effect, elongated sinker wales produced by withdrawing from action the two groups of fifty needles in order to form the gap 28 'on opposite sides of the blank. These floating yarns will extend across and the entire length ofthe gaps formed upon opposite sides of the blank from the line 272-7 to the points 38 at the top of the calf 39, at which points the widening of the calf will have been completed and the full complement of needles will again be in operation.

The. fashioning of the calf is effected in substantially the same manner as set forth in connection with Fig. 2.- That is, beginning at the lines 3434 needles are. added, preferably to the series upon which the section 30 is being knitted, either in consecutive courses or by skipping a number of courses, and then adding one or more'needles until the full complement of needles has again been restored to action. The adding of the needles at the end of the series upon which the calf covering is knitted, effects the for- 'mation of an oblique line 40 at each side of said rear or calf covering section, and the entire fullness produced by the adding of more needles to the series will be inserted at the back of the stocking, rather than at the front. Thus when the two-edges forming the gaps 37 are subsequently seamed together, the seam so formed will lie substantially parallel with the front line of thecompleted stocking, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 1. v

Having reached the point 38, knitting proceeds upon the full complement of needles to knit the leg 41 to the top 42 of the blank, and having completed said blank the same may be removed from the machine and the seaming operations effected, as described in connection with the blank of Fig. 2, except as to the removalof the floating yarns 37 which may be removed before the seaming operation, or they may be removed after said seaming operation.

It is evident that with either form of blank used the completed stocking will have a seam extending transversely of the toe, as at 21', and said stocking'wilLalso have seams '23 upon opposite sides of the foot which extend from the seam'21 along said foot and along opposite sides of the ankle, as at 25, to the points 13 at the top of the calf of the stocking; but it is within the scope and purpose of my invention to extend said seam, if I so desire, to the top 43 thereof, as indicated by the dotted lines 44 (see Fig. 1). This, however, is merely a matter of taste, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself one way or the other.

It-will also be evident that it is withir the scope and purpose of my invention, if i so desire. to form the seam 21 across the bottom of the toe rather than across the top, as shown.

Having thus described certain illustrative embodiments of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

l. A stocking blank comprising a front stri of substantially uniform width exten ing from the toe to the top of the calf and a back strip substantially equal in:

substantially to the top of the calfthereof.

3. A knitted stocking having a tubular section, a pair of strips knitted integral with said tubular section and constituting the calffashioned at opposite sides, ankle and foot of said stocking, and seamsuniting the edges of said strips at the toe and upon opposite sides of said foot, ankle and calf of said stocking.

4. A stocking blank consisting of a tubular upper leg portion and two longitudinal separated strips knitted integrally with said tubular section and constituting the lower front and back portions of the leg and foot of 'said stocking, opposite edges of said strips being selvaged.

5. A fashioned stocking having a fashioned leg and havin seams formed by rows of non-knitting stitc es extending from the toe along opposite sides of the foot and along opposite sides of the lower portion of the leg of said stocking.

6. Astocking blank consisting of a tubular section constituting the upper leg portion of said stocking, and two selvaged separated strips knitted integral with said tubular section and constituting the front and back lower leg covering and the instep and bottom foot coverings of said stocking, and toe and heel pockets formed in said bottom covering 7. A stocking having two sections of knitted fabric, one of said sections including toe and heel pockets and a fashioned calf, and seams for uniting said fabric. sections along opposite sides of the foot and lower leg of said stocking, said fashioned calf having a -varied number of wales along at least one of said lower leg scams.

8. A- stocking having two separated sections of knitted fabric, one of sa d sections including toe and heel pockets and a fashioned calf, seams for uniting said fabric sections along opposite sides of the foot and lower leg of said stocking, and a tubular upper leg section knitted integral with said sections. A

9. The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting two strips constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections of the stocking, then in knitting integral with said strips a tubular web constituting the upper leg portion of said stocking, and then in stitching together opposite adjacent edges of said strips to form seams extending along opposite sides of the foot, ankle and calf sections of said stocking.

10. The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting by reciprocating knitting two strips constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections of the stocking, then in knitting by rotary knitting and integral with said strips a tubular web constituting the upper leg portion of said stocking, and then in stitching together opposlte adjacent edges of said strips to form seams extending along opposite sides of the foot, ankle'and calf sections of said stocking.

11; The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting two oppositely selvaged strips constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections of the stocking, then in knitting integral with said strips a tubular web constituting the upper leg portion of said stocking, and then in stitching together opposite adjacent edges of said strips to form seams extending along opposite sides of the foot, ankle and calf sections of said stocking.

12. The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting two strips constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections of the stocking, then in knitting integral with said strips a tubular web constituting the upper leg portion of said stocking, and then in stitching together the edges of said strips to form seams extending transversely of the toe and along 0 posite sides of the foot, ankle and calf sections of said stocking.

13. The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting a toe pocket, then in klnitting upon separated series of needles two strips of fabric constituting respectively the bottom of the foot and the instep portion of the stocking, then in knitting upon the former series of needles a heel pocket, then in knitting upon both series of needles two sections of fabric constituting the ankle portion of the stocking then in knitting upon both of said series 0 needles and gradually adding to the needles of one of said series to form the fashioned calf section, then in knitting integral with said strips a tubular web, andin subsequently stitching together the edges of said strips.

14. The method of forming a fashioned stocking, which consists in knitting a tu-bular web fabric, then in knitting a toe pocket, then in knitting upon separated series of needles two strips of fabric constituting respectively the bottom of the foot and the instep portion of the stocking, then in knitting upon the former series of needles, 'a heel pocket, then in knitting upon both series of needles two sections of fabric constituting the ankle portion of the stocking, then in knitting upon both of said series of needles and gradually adding to the needles of one of said series to form the fashioned calf section, then in knitting integral with said strips a tubular web, and in subsequently stitching together the edges of said strips.

15. The method of forming fashioned stockings, which consists in knitting the separated strips 7 and 8 constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections of the stocking and in fashioning said strip 8 at 12, in knitting integral with said strlps a tubular section 19, and in subsequently stitching to gether the edges of said strips to form the I seams 21, 23 and 25.

16. The method of forming a fashioned stocking which consists in knitting by reciprocating knitting two strips constituting the foot, ankle and calf sections, and during the knittin of said calf sections to effect a gradual wi ening of the calf portion of one of said strips, and simultaneously with the knitting of said strips to form at opposite edges thereof continuous wales of loops of a lesser number but substantially longer than the loops composing said strips.

17. A fashioned stocking having a strip of fabric formed by reciprocating knitting and includin toe and heel pockets and a calf portion fashioned by varying the number of wales upon opposite sides of the leg,

and a continuous Wale of loops extending along the edges of said strip, said loops being substantially posing said strip.

.18. A fashioned stocking having two separated strips of fabric formed b reciprocatand separated upon opposite sides by sub-' stantially Wedge-shaped openings, the lower ends of said longitudinal strips being united by a plurality of series of circular courses.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s ecification.

G ORGE P. BOSWORTH.

longer than the loops com-. 

